Handrail



W. W. THO M Feb. 2, 1965 HANDRAIL 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 51, 1960 INVENTOR. Wenze/ W. Thom ATTORNEY W. W. THOM Feb. 2, 1965 HANDRAIL 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 31, 1960 Wenze/ 777007 A'TTORNEYS W. W. THOM Feb. 2, 1965 HANDRAIL 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed 001;. 51, 1960 INVENTOR. Wenze/ W. Thorn 71 TTORNEYS.

United States Patent Kane.

Fiied Set. 31, 196i), Ser. No. 66,333 7 filaims. (til. l89--34) The present invention relates to an improved railing unit adapted to be mounted on an upright support adjacent a stairway or the like, and particularly to an improved handrail having structure thereon permitting the same to be attached to the upright support at any point on the latter which is engaged by the handrail.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a one-piece railing structure which may be fabricated by an extrusion process and includes a flange coextensive in length with the hand-engaging portion or" the structure so that the structure may be attached at any desired point throughout its length to an upright support such as a wall or the like.

It is another object of the invention to provide handrail structure which is of uniform cross-sectional configuration throughout the length thereof to permit the same to be fabricated of lightweight material having a high strength to weight ratio and employing an extrusion process, thereby substantially lowering the cost of the completed unit.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a handrail that is adapted to be extruded and wherein the hand support portion thereof is of generally tubular configuration but is provided with a longitudinally extending slot in the lower part thereof to simplify the die employed in production of the extrusion. In this respect a further important object of the invention is to provide elongated filler plates adapted to be disposed in closing relationship to the slot in the hand support portion of the handrail and engaging opposed margins of the handrail defining the slot therein, in a manner to present smooth surfaces which are free from projections and other dangerous and undesirable extensions.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide railing structure of the character above described, wherein the major portion of the structure is extruded in a manner to present a one-piece, smooth rail free from projections and other mounting sections which tend to injure persons using the rail or damage their clothing.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide railing structure of the character above described, wherein end caps are provided for insertion into the open ends of the tubular sections, the caps being adhesively or otherwise secured to respective extremities of the rail, thereby completing the smooth, unbroken line of the rail structure and covering the edges of the open ends of the tubular sections, preventing injuries as above described.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide handrail structure of the character above described, wherein the major portion of the assembly is extruded in one piece, rendering the structure substantially vandal proof for use in schools and other public buildmgs.

In the past, when mounting handrail structure, it has been necessary to locate the studs in the wall to which the handrail is to be attached, and then make structural changes to the handrail assembly in order to provide mounting means at the point on the handrail which will be located opposite the studs which will support the handrail in the mounted position. An alternative method has been to attach the rail to the wall at selected intervals along the rail regardless of the disposition of the upright studs in the wall. This has required the use of special anchoring bolts with the connection being only as strong as the material to which the rail is connected. In the case of wallboard or similar materials, it can be recognized that the rail is not firmly fixed in place and can readily be removed from the wall if excessive pressure is placed on the rail.

The present invention overcomes these problems by providing a flange generally coextensive in length with the handrail, which is adapted to be placed against the wall to which the handrail will be attached, and which may be drilled at any desired point and attached by screws or other equivalent means which are driven directly into the studs wherever the same may be located in a particular wall. Such adaptation of the handrail structure for mounting, insures that the handrail structure may be prefabricated in final form prior to the time that it is brought to the site for mounting.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will appear hereinafter as the description of this invention proceeds, and various modifications and changes may be made to the structure of the present invention without departing from the spirit thereof. Such further objects and modifications and changes are intended to be covered by the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary view partly in section and partly in elevaiton showing handrail structure embodying the concepts of the present invention mounted in association with the stairway;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary, side elevational view of handrail structure embodying the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary, top plan view of the structure shown in FIG. 2 with portions broken away and shown in section to reveal details of construction;

FIG. 4 is a transverse, cross-sectional view through handrail structure shown in FIGS. 2 and 3;

FIG. 5 is a rear end elevational view of an end cap employed in closing respective extremities of the handrail structure;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 4 showing another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 4 showing a third embodiment of the present inveniton;

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 4 showing a fourth embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 4 showing a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

There is shown in FIG. 1, a stair well indicated generally by the numeral 20, including a plurality of steps 22, a wall 24, and railing structure generally indicated by the numeral 26 fixed to wall 24.

Railing structure 26 includes an elongated tubular member 28, a Web 30 integral with member 28, and extending generally laterally therefrom, and a flange 32 integral with web 30 and extending transversely therefrom. Particular reference to FIGS. 1 through 3 will indicate that web 31 and flange 32 are longitudinally generally coextensive with tubular member 28. Tubular member 28 is provided with margins 34 and 36, defining an elongated, longitudinal slot 38 in member 28. Filler means 49, including a flat rail completing portion 42 terminating in a pair of legs 44 and 4s at respective ends thereof and perpendicular to portion 42, is provided for completing the tubular configuration of member 28. The legs 44 and 46 are provided with grooves 48 and 50 respectively in their outwardly facing surfaces for receiving the generally circular margins 34 and 36 of member 23. Filler strips or plates 42 may be of uniform length regardless of the length of a particular handrail. Thus, if required, a plurality of strips 42 may be placed in slot 38 in filling relationship thereto and with adjacent strips 42 being in abutting relationship. Inasmuch as strips 42 are preferably extruded of aluminum alloy or the like, the same may readily be cut with a saw or similar instrument to present a filler of desired length. It will be noted that the member 28 is substantially trapezoidal in cross-section, with the exception of the upper hand-engaging surface 52 being generally convex, since the hand-engaging wall 54 of member 28 is arcuate in cross-section.

Since the ends of member 28 would otherwise be open, end caps 56, molded from a synthetic resin substance or other like material, are provided and each having a rail terminating end section 58, a shoulder 60, and a sleeve 62 of reduced cross-sectional dimension which may be telescoped into opposed ends of member 28 and adhesively or otherwise secured to the interior walls of member 28 if desired. At this point, it should be noted that the rail structure itself, while preferably being of an aluminum alloy having high strength to weight properties, could be formed of other extrudable materials, the only requirement being that the material be extrudable and having sufiicient inherent strength for the intended use.

A second embodiment of railing structure 126, is shown in FIG. 6 with like structure being indicated by similar numbers in the 100 series. The principal difference between the embodiment of FIG. 6 and the structure previously described, is that the upper surface 152 of member 128 is flat, since the Wall 154 of member 128 is linear in cross-section.

Another embodiment of railing structure 226, is shown in FIG. 7 which is also generally trapezoidal in crosssection. Similar structure in the embodiment of FIG. 7 is designated by similar numbers in the 200 series, the distinction between this embodiment and previous embodiments being that the upper is undulating, since the wall 254 is substantially V-shaped in cross-section.

In FIG. 8, the fourth embodiment of the present invention is shown and generally designated by the numeral 326. The member 328 is generally trapezoidal in crosssection and similar in most respects to the previously described embodiments, similar parts being designated by similar numbers in the 300 series. The only difference between the embodiment of FIG. 8 and previously described embodiments, is that the upper hand-engaging surface 352 is concave, since the wall 354 is arcuate in crosssection in the reverse curve to the wall 54 of the embodiment in FIG. 4.

A fifth embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. 9 and denoted by the numeral 426. In the embodiment of FIG. 9, the tubular member 428 is generally circular in cross-section, presenting a generally cylindrical hand-engaging surface 452, since the wall 4540f member 428 is generally circular in cross-section.

It will be appreciated that in the embodiment of FIG. 9, since the tubular member 428 is generally circular in cross-section, the filler 440 is comprised of either a flat rail completing section 442 as shown and terminating in transverse legs 444 and 446, or an alternative filler could have a transversely arcuate, slot spanning section to cause the filler 440 to be complemental with the outer cylindrical surface of member 428, since the bottom portion of the filler 440 would be arcuate in this embodiment.

It can, therefore, be seen that all embodiments of the present invention accomplish all of the objectives set forth above, since in each of the rail structures, a flange hand-engaging surface 252 32 is provided which is generally coextensive in length with the member 28, 128, 228, 328 or 428, and adapts the latter to be fastened to a wall 24 at any desirable point along wall 24 where a stud is located to which the rail may be fastened and obtain maximum support.

In addition, each of the embodiments of the invention shown and described, present a smooth, unbroken railing surface, since end caps 56 may be furnished for any of the embodiments by simply conforming their overall configuration to the cross-sectional shape of the hand support portion of each rail, and particularly the configuration of sleeve 62 for insertion into the handrail members, thereby insuring that the surface presented will not injure the hands of the user, or his clothes. Also in each case, structure has been presented wherein the major portion of the handrail can beextruded as a one-piece unit, requiring only the filler to complete the same, and the insertion of the end caps. Therefore, railing structures may be prefabricated and brought to the place of installation ready to install without requiring structural modifications or changes, with the possible exception of cutting the rails to desired lengths. This type of construction materially reduces the cost of handrail structure.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new anddesired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In railing structure, an elongated, generally tubular handrail having a longitudinal slot therein; a web integral with said rail and extending laterally therefrom; a flange integral with said Web and substantially longitudinally coextensive in length with said rail, said flange extending away from the web a sufficient distance and in a direction to permit mounting of the rail on a generally upright surface at any desired point therealong and with said rail in normal disposition for hand gripping of the same; and filler means within said slot and releasably engaging said rail along the margins thereof defining said slot for filling the latter to render said rail smooth and rigid.

2. The structure as set forth in claim 1, in further combination with end caps slidably inserted into and adhesively secured within the open ends of said rail for completing a smooth, unbroken handrail surface.

3. The structure as set forth in claim 1, wherein said rail is generally circular in cross-section.

4. The structure as set forth in claim 1, wherein said rail is generally trapezoidal in cross-section.

5. The structure as set forth in 1 laim 4, wherein the normally hand-supporting surface is convex.

6. The structure as set forth in claim 4, wherein the normally hand-supporting surface is concave.

7. The structure as set forth in claim 4, wherein the normally hand-supporting surface is undulating.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,557,002 Lathrop June 12, 1951 2,558,142 Lapp et al. June 26, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 570,621 Great Britain July 16, 1945 OTHER REFERENCES Designing with Aluminum Extrusions, Reynolds Metals Co., 1952 edition, page 7, FIGURE 11. 

1. IN RAILING STRUCTURE, AN ELONGATED, GENERALLY TUBULAR HANDRAIL HAVING A LONGITUDINAL SLOT THEREIN; A WEB INTEGRAL WITH SAID RAIL AND EXTENDING LATERALLY THEREFROM; A FLANGE INTEGRAL WITH SAID WEB AND SUBSTANTIALLY LONGITUDINALLY COEXTENSIVE IN LENGTH WITH SAID RAIL, SAID FLANGE EXTENDING AWAY FROM THE WEB A SUFFICIENT DISTANCE AND IN A DIRECTION TO PERMIT MOUNTING OF THE RAIL ON A GENERALLY UPRIGHT SURFACE AT ANY DESIRED POINT THEREALONG AND WITH SAID RAIL IN NORMAL DISPOSITION FOR HAND GRIPPING OF THE SAME; AND FILLER MEANS WITHIN SAID SLOT AND RELEASABLY ENGAGING SAID RAIL ALONG THE MARGINS THEREOF DEFINING SAID SLOT FOR FILLING THE LATTER TO RENDER SAID RAIL SMOOTH AND RIGID. 